The present invention relates to a top-loading horizontal axis automatic washer having a tub with an access opening and a rotatable basket disposed within the tub, and more particularly to a tub door system for selectively closing the tub access opening.
Typically, horizontal axis automatic washers employ either a front loading or a top loading configuration for receiving clothes items to be washed. U.S. Pat. No. 3,197,980 to Marple, assigned to the assignee of the present invention, shows a typical front loading horizontal washer wherein the horizontal wash basket is accessed through one of the vertical end walls of the horizontal basket and the front surface of the washer enclosure.
The preference of many consumers, however, particularly those in the U.S., is for top loading washers. Existing top loading horizontal axis washers include a rotatable wash basket disposed within an imperforate wash tub. A tub access opening is provided for accessing the wash basket, at least partially through the top surface of the washer. During the wash cycle and in particular during the spin extraction portion of the wash cycle, it is necessary to provide a splash guard to prevent wash liquid from undesirably exiting from the wash tub through the access opening. Typically, two different solutions have been utilized to manage this splash out problem.
In one solution, a boot is provided for sealably connecting the wash tub with the exterior cabinet structure. An exterior cabinet lid is then provided which sealably closes the tub access opening. This solution is undesirable, however, due in part to the relatively high cost and complexity of the boot design.
In another solution to the splash out problem, a manually openable hinged tub door is provided for sealably closing the tub access opening. Use of a hinged tub door, however, is also undesirable. A hinged tub door generally requires an additional motion by the user to open the door such that in a typical top loading horizontal washer, the user must open a cabinet lid, the hinged tub door and hinged wash basket doors to access the interior of the wash basket. This plurality of door openings is considered undesirable. Further, even if a hinged tub door were to be opened automatically, its very presence is considered undesirable because of the increased difficulty in loading and unloading a washer when a hinged tub door extends from the tub opening. It would be desirable, therefore, to configure a tub door to open and close automatically in a fashion which is substantially invisible to the user.
Some prior art attempts have been made to provide an automatically openable tub door. U.S. Pat. No. 3,280,603 discloses an automatic washer having a rotatable basket disposed within a tub wherein both the basket and the tub are provided with sliding doors. For opening the tub door, a solenoid driven connection or the like between the tub door and the rotating drum is effected wherein the rotation of the drum opens the tub door. To close the tub door, a similar coupling is made and the above-described motional action occurs in reverse order. In this fashion, a system for automatically opening the sliding tub door is provided.
The above described basket door opening system, however, contains many disadvantages. Chief among them is the relatively high cost and high degree of complexity. Also, due to the required motor operations, there will be an undesirable delay during the tub door opening procedure. Further, this type of system requires extensive pneumatic or electrical systems.
It would be an improvement in the art, therefore, if a low cost and simple tub door system were provided for preventing wash liquid splash out through the tub access opening. It would be a further improvement if the tub door system was substantially invisible to the user. Further, it would be desirable to have a tub door system for a top loading horizontal washer wherein the tub door serves to selectively close a tub access opening and further wherein the tub door opening and closing is performed automatically.